


Home

by Veskasa



Category: Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Character Death, Gen, Odinsons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-09
Updated: 2012-04-09
Packaged: 2017-11-03 07:57:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/379113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veskasa/pseuds/Veskasa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor promised to bring his brother back to Asgard. That was his word to not only his family, his friends, but to himself as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home

Everyone was celebrating. After all the destruction, all of the pain and struggle and loss, finally the battle was won. No, the war was over. The Avengers, the _heroes_ had triumphed over the world’s greatest threat. Citizens emerged from their hiding places, from their shelters and homes and joined together to applaud those who had stepped up to defend them. Each hero was offered their separate praise, all members of the team coming together to stand as a sign of hope and protection to humanity after their victory.  
  
Well…almost all of the heroes. One was noticeably absent from their ranks, their one god of thunder. No one asked where Thor had run off to after their final fight with Loki though. Most assumed they didn’t want to know. They had gone into the fight knowing who it was they faced, and even if they had thought such an end would not be necessary, the outcome had to be a harsh blow to the thunderer.  
  
No one wanted to go back to that battlefield so soon after it was all over. There were bodies strewn about, blood from both sides, and everywhere the stench of _death_. Thor hadn’t simply gone back after the fighting was done. No, the immortal had never left. He was crouched by his brother’s fallen form, his eyes stormy as he clenched and unclenched his hands. He was unsure of what to do, of what to say. Finally he couldn’t resist any longer and reached out to tuck Loki’s hair back, fixing it as best he could manage without jarring the younger too much. He looked so peaceful right now, he couldn’t bare ruining that. “You are usually so careful with your appearances Loki. Even in battle I have seen you emerge without a hair out of place. This time it was harder than you were expecting for you to look this terrible.”  
  
The hair was fixed and a bit of blood was cleaned off that pale face next. Thor forced the contact to do this, yet the skin on skin contact felt almost like he was being burned. Loki was so cold now, as if he were in his Jotun skin. “Brother you cannot look so ghastly when we go home. Mother would have a fit.” All he could try to do was fix the torn clothes, wipe away the blood that continued to drip from between those cool lips and frown heavily.  
  
“This will have to do. You are difficult as always Loki.” Tucking his large hands beneath Loki’s body the thunderer lifted him easily from the ground. The trickster had always been light, but ever since this war had started in Midgard it felt as if he’d lost even more weight. “My brother… You were forgetting meals again while here weren’t you? I have told you how important it is to eat to keep up your strength.” Thor’s voice was quiet, distant, but he was keeping a light-humored smile.  
  
“We shall worry about your terrible habits later. For now…” The thunderer trailed off, beginning his slow trek off the battlefield. “We are going home.”  
  
 _You are my brother and I love you._  
  
 _I’m not your brother. I never was!_  
  
Thor’s grip tightened around Loki’s body and he stopped, looking down at the still unmoving form. “You may not have felt it so Loki, but I am taking you back to your home. To where you belong.” The light forming above them indicated the Bifrost, but Heimdall seemed to be taking his time. “It has been so long since everyone has seen you. We all worried dearly. Every day Loki. Mother wept for you, Father would grow tense with concern at every mention of your name, and I…”  
  
His hands were growing noticeably wet and sticky. Blood was seeping through and staining his arms and the front of his armor. Thor looked down and was forced to see it. The hole cut clean through Loki’s body, big enough to fit an fist through. The wound was clean, burned around the inside, but there was still so much _red_.  
  
Tears were streaming down the immortal’s face before his smile even faded. That smile, that lie that he tried to keep up, the one that was falling further and further the longer he stared at that wound.  
  
No, no he had to look away. Thor closed his eyes and ignored the tears as he ground his teeth. His shoulders were not shaking. Loki was just unconscious. If his brother could lie so perfectly that everyone would believe it truth than surely _he_ , the mighty Thor, could do it too. His hands stayed wet, the cold touch started to get through even his armor, and no amount of lying could hide the ultimate truth.  
  
Loki was dead.  
  
 _I just wanted to bring you home…I’m so sorry Brother…I failed._

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is also posted on [Tumblr](http://veskasa.tumblr.com/post/20705132553/home)


End file.
